Refrigerator



J. F LYN N REFRIGERATORl June 16, 1931.

Filed June 26, 1929 "Patented June 16, 1931'- ETED oFFic-nY.TERE.'LVlIlLEt FLYNN, OF ST. `LOUIS, MISSOURI, .SSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTHTO FRANK TIRRELL ANDy ONEP'FOURTHTO JEROME FLYNN, BOTH OF ST; LOUIS,MISSOURI Y "nnrmennafron,

' Application filed :une 2c,

This invention relates to refrigerators.

An object of the invention is to provideV` means for embodiment inrefrigerators for opening and closing Vcommunication between thecompartments of the refrigerators automaticallyand as an incident to theoperation of the doors of the different compartments. Fort-his'purpose Iprovide slides controlling communicationbetween the respective com-Lpartinents and levers for movingthe slides to opened and closedpositions so as to openV and close communication between said comHpartments, and means operated? by doors to the respective compartmentsfor operating V said levers so as `to operate saidl slides to openvcommunication between lthe compartments automatically andas an incident`to the closing of the 'doors and to permit said slides to be moved toclosed position automatically and as an incident to theopening of thedoors. Y* V Another object ofthe invention is to provide units adaptedfor convenient insertion and withdrawal ina refrigerator for. con`-trollingcommunication between the respective compartments. v p Y Otherobjects willappear from the fol-Y lowing description, reference beingmade to the anneXed,V drawings in which- Fig. l is a front velevation ofa refrigerator having m37/invention embodiedtherein. I Fig., 2 is avertical sectional'viewrapproximatelyon theline l2--2 of Fig. 1.-

'Fig 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional yview approximately 0n the,line fr3---3` of Fig. 4 is a sectional `viewjof one of the walls and thecooperating. unit showing-the' registering ,openings through 'thewallfand 40- the unit and the closure for said openings.

It will be apparent from the following description thatkthepresent,inventionis` de,V

signed and adapted Yto be embodied in vany refrigerator having separate`compartments e and doors for opening and closing the re-v spectivecompartments. This invention will control v communication e between therespec-v tive compartmentsof the refrigeratorin suchV a way astoopencommunication between the v5@ compartments when all of"thedoorsof'the 1929;'i seriaifnq. ajenas.y

` refrigerator lare closed, andto close commnnijcationafrom the othercompartments toY any'compartment the door of which is open.

` rlhe refrigerator shown will be recognized as of conventional typecomprising a bottomr wall 1,`a topy wall 2, a .vertical side wall 3, anoppositevertical side wall 4, and a rear wall 5. There is a verticalpartition 6 eX- tending from the bottom wall 1 to the top wall 2 andjoinedto the side wall 3 by a horizontal partition 7. *Thusthepartitions and 7 divide the interior of the refrigerator into a numberof compartments consisting, as

shown, 'of a compartment 8 above thepartition 7,for-the ice, acompartment 9 below the partition 7', and a compartment `1() between theside walll 4 and the vertical *parti-y tion 6. The'compartments 9 and 10are designed and adaptedto contain articles of foodl and kbeverages andother substances which are top be subjected to thecooling orrefrigerating ei'ectof'the ice `contained in the compartment 8;y n Y A.door 11 for opening and closing the compartment Sis hinged to the sidewall 3' of the refrigerator, and a door '12 vforfope'ning andV closingthe compartment`9 is hinged tothe side wall 3; These doors may be openedand closed independently ofeach other. A door 13'`for the compartment 10is hinged toy the side wall tk of the refrigerator and may be opened and'closed independentlyV of yeither To obtainfmaximum cooling andrefriger-y ating effect from thei'ce that is contained in the"lcompartment 8,r open,V communication from compartment 8-to thecompartments 9 and 10 and alsofopen4 communication between? the'`ycinnpartments 92 and 10 is maintained when 'all'of thefd'oors of therefrigerator are closed. 'Howev'en when the door 111 is opened,

communication from the'compartment 8 to partments 8 and 9 is closed.This prevents warm air from passing from either of the compartments, thedoor of which is opened, into either of the other compartments, and thusobtains maximum benefit from the supply of ice and keeps the contents ofthe refrigerator in better condition than would be the case if thecontents were subjected to the effects of warm air when any of the doorsof the refrigerator are opened.

The units for controlling communication between the compartments 8 and10 and the units for controlling communication between the compartments9 and 10 are alike so that a description of one such unit will afford anunderstanding of all.

The partition 6 has therethrough an opening 14 near its upper portion toaiiord communication between the compartments 8 and 10, and has anopening 15 therethrough near its lower end to afford communicationbetween the compartments 9 and 10. I provide a separate unit forcontrolling each of the openings 14 and 15 by the door 13; a similarunit for controlling the opening 14 by the door 11, and a similar unitfor controlling the opening 15 by the door 12. These units are alike andare independently operated and controlled by the respective doors. Eachof said units includes a box-like structure comprising two parallelwalls 16 having holes therethrough.

The units for controlling communication between the compartments 8 and10 each comprise a pair of spaced walls 16 having openings therethroughin registration with the opening 14, the edges of said walls 16 beingconnected and said walls 16 held in spaced relationship by side walls 17so that a boxlike structure is obtained. These box-like structures arereadily insel-table in and withdrawable from the refrigerator, beingmounted at their lower edges on supporting' brackets 18 and retainedagainst the partition G at their upper edges by brackets 19. A. verticalrod 20 is within each unit between the walls 16 and constitutes a guidefor a slide plate 21, having thereon a sleeve 22 mounted on the rod 20.A lever, comprising an arm 23 and another arm 24, is mounted on a pivot25 between the side walls 16. The arm 23 has a pin and slot connection26 with the sleeve 22, and the arm 24 has pin and slot connection 27with a plunger 28. This plunger 28 is of such length that when thecooperating dooris closed, said plunger 28 is engaged by the inner sideof said door and pushed inwardly so as to operatethe lever 23-24 andthereby move downwardly the slide 21 away from the opening 14, A spring29 between the walls 16 acts against the lever arm 23 with suiiicientforce and in a manner to move said arm 23 in a direction and to anextent to move the slide 21 to position to close the opening 14.

As stated, one of these units is mounted in the compartment 8 forcontrol by the door 11 and another of such units is mounted in the upperend of the compartment 10 for control by the door 13. Similarly one ofsuch units is mounted in the compartment 9 for control by the door 12 toopen and close the opening 15, and a similar unit is mounted in thecompartment 10 for control by the door 13 to open and to closecommunication between the compartments 9 and 10. The only differencebetween the location and mounting of the units for controllingcommunication between the compartments 9 and 10, as compared with theunits for controlling communication between the compartments 8 and 10,is that the units for controlling communication between the compartments9 and 10 are inverted Wi th respect to the unit-s rfor controllingcommunication between the compartments 8 and 10. Otherwise these unitsare alike, the parts of the units for controlling communication betweenthe compartments 9 and 10 being designated by the reference characters16a, etc.

The partition 7 that separates the compartments 8 and 9 has therethroughan opening 30. For controlling this opening I provide duplicate units,one of which is in compartment 8 and is under control of the door 11,and the other of which is in the compartment 9 and under control of thedoor 12. Each of said units comprises a box-like struct-ure including anupper wall 31, a lower wall 32 and side walls 33 joining the edges ofthe walls 31 and 32 and holding said walls in spaced relationship. Thewalls 31 and 32 have therethrough openings in registration with theopening 30 through the partition 7. A rod 34 is connected with the sidewalls 33 and extends transversely across the inside of the box-likeunit. Two slides 35 have sleeves 36 mounted for sliding movements on therod 4 and are movable to positions to open and to close the opening 30.Bellcrank levers 37 are mounted on pivots 38 within each unit andbellcrank levershave pin and slot connections 39 with the respectivevcollars 36 and are operative to move said collars to and from positionto close the opening 30. The bellcrank levers 37 are connected by aspring 40 which is effective to operate the bellcrank levers in adirection and extent to move the slides 35 to closed positions.Theopposite arms of the bellcrank levers 37 have operativeconnections 41with the plunger 42, which projects forwardly in position to be engagedby the door 11 or12, as the case may be, when said door is closed. Thuswhen both doors 11 and 12 are closed the slides 35 of both units areheld open. And when either door 11 or 12 is opened the slides 35 of thecorresponding unit are closed by the spring 40, thereby closing theopening 30 constituting the communication between the compartments 8 and9.

The unit in the compartment 8 is held in position bybrackets 43, and theunit inthe i compartment 9 is supportedl by brackets 44. Thus the unitsare easily removable and replaceable and, indeed, may be applied toymost refrigerators as an accessory or addition.

From the foregoing the high degree of utility, and the construction andoperation of the invention mustbe apparent. The construction andarrangement of parts maybe 'varied within equivalent-limits withoutdesaid openings to openand close communica-v tion between saidcompartments, a rod eX- tending across each of said openings, a sleeverin connection witheach of saidslides mounted for sliding movements alongthe corresponding rod, a bell crank lever corresponding to each of saidslides, a pivotal connection between one arm of each bell crank leverand the correspondingslide, av plunger engaging the other -arm of eachbell crank lever, and doors for therespective compartments for engagingsaid plungers and holding said bell crank levers in position to holdsaid slides in open positions when said doors are closed. Y

2. A refrigerator, partitions dividing the inside of said refrigeratorinto separate compartments and having openings therethrough formingcommunications between said compartments, doors for the respectivecompartments, a box-like device having spaced walls provided withopenings for registration with said openings through said partitionsmounted in each of said compartments, means for removably supportingsaid box-like devices in the respective compartments in positions inwhich said openings through said devices reg'- ister with said openingsthrough said par-l lions, and valves mountedbetween said walls of saidbox-like devices for openingr and closing said openings through saidwalls. 3. A re rigerator, partitions dividing the inside of saidrefrigerator intofseparate compartments and having openings therethroughforming communications between said compartments, doors for therespective compartments, a box-like device having spaced walls providedwithl openings for registration with' *of said box-like devices foropening and closing said Yopenings through said walls, and actuatingvdevices for said valves supported by said box-like devices and operatedby-said doors when said doors are closed to open said valves. s

4f. A refrigerator, partitions dividing the inside of said refrigeratorinto separate compartments and having openings therethrough Y formingcommunications between said cornpartments, spaced walls forming abox-like device havin@- o eninOs therethrou h means l b b g 7 removablysupporting one of said box-like devices ineach kof said compartments inposltion'in which the openings through said boxlikel devices registerwith the: openings through said partitions, doors for the respectivecompartments, valves mounted in said box-like devices forjopening andclosing said openings, and means for koperating' said valves by saiddoors to open said valves when said doors are closed.k n

JEREMIAH FLYNN.

